Scaevola plant named ‘Bonsca 1433’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Scaevola  plant named ‘Bonsca 1433’, characterized by its compact and spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; long flowering period; deep pink-colored flowers; and good container and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Scaevola aemula.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BONSCA 1433’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Scaevola plant, botanically known as Scaevola aemula and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bonsca 1433’.

The new Scaevola plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact, spreading and early-flowering Scaevola plants with numerous attractive flowers.

The new Scaevola plant originated from an open-pollination in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in March, 2013 of a proprietary selection of Scaevola aemula identified by the code number 13-37, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown proprietary selection of Scaevola aemula, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Scaevola plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia on Mar. 4, 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Scaevola plant by vegetative tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since March, 2014 has shown that the unique features of this new Scaevola plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Scaevola have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bonsca 1433’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonsca 1433’ as a new and distinct Scaevola plant:

-   -   1. Compact and spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Long flowering period.     -   5. Deep pink-colored flowers.     -   6. Good container and garden performance.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Scaevola differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flowering habit as plants of the new Scaevola are more freely flowering than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of the Scaevola aemula ‘Bomy Pinka’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,943. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Scaevola differ from plants of the ‘Bomy Pinka’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Scaevola are more spreading than and not as         trailing as plants of ‘Bomy Pinka’.     -   2. Plants of the new Scaevola have smaller leaves than plants of         ‘Bomy Pinka’.     -   3. Plants of the new Scaevola flower earlier than plants of         ‘Bomy Pinka’.     -   4. Plants of the new Scaevola are more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Bomy Pinka’.     -   5. Plants of the new Scaevola and ‘Bomy Pinka’ differ in flower         petal color as plants of ‘Bomy Pinka’ have light pink-colored         flower petals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Scaevola plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Scaevola plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonsca 1433’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonsca 1433’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the late summer in 20-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Scaevola production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 25° C. Plants were three months old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Scaevola aemula ‘Bonsca 1433’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Scaevola             aemula identified as code number 13-37, not patented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Unknown proprietary selection of             Scaevola aemula, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures about 21° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 15 days at             temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Time to develop roots, summer.—About three weeks at             temperatures about 21° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to develop roots, winter.—About four weeks at             temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual             color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition,             water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate             temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact and spreading plant habit;             moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with lateral             branches potentially forming at every node; pinching             enhances branching potential.         -   Plant height.—About 28.8 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 72.4 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 28.3 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2.6 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 2.6 cm.         -   Aspect.—Upright to outwardly.         -   Texture.—Pubescent; rough.         -   Color.—Close to 138B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 3.2 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.7 cm.         -   Shape.—Spatulate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Sparsely pubescent;             rough.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to N137B.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137D; venation,             close to 137D. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137C; venation, close to 138B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and shape.—Zygomorphic, semi-circular,             fan-shaped flowers with five petals fused at the base to             form a tubular flower throat; flower throat open along the             upper surface exposing the reproductive organs.         -   Flower arrangement and quantity.—Solitary sessile flowers             arising from upper leaf axils; flowers mostly horizontal;             freely flowering habit with typically about 2,900 flowers             developing per plant during the flowering season.         -   Flowering time.—Early flowering habit, plants begin             flowering after about four weeks after planting; long flower             period, plants flower continuously from spring to autumn in             Japan.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers typically last about a week on the             plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Present, pleasant.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.75 cm. Diameter: About 2.1 mm.             Shape: Lenticular. Color: Close to 70B.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 1.4 cm by 2.45 cm. Depth: About             11.5 mm. Throat diameter: About 4.2 mm. Tube length: About             1.1 cm. Tube diameter, distally: About 2.7 mm. Tube             diameter, proximally: About 2 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Five, fused at base. Length,             beyond tube: About 1.2 cm. Width, beyond tube: About 4.1 mm.             Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Cuspidate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Texture, throat: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, tube: Pubescent;             rough. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 71A.             When opening, lower surface: Close to 70B. Fully opened,             upper surface: Close to N74B; towards the throat, close to             NN155B; color becoming closer to 77B with development. Fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 72D; midrib, close to N74A.             Throat, distally: Close to N144A. Throat, proximally: Close             to N144B; venation, close to 59A. Tube: Close to 150C;             venation, close to N77A.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Two. Length: About 4.3 mm.             Width: About 1.3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent; rough. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             138A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:             Five. Filament length: About 3.1 mm. Filament color: Close             to 199C. Anther size: About 1.5 mm by 0.8 mm. Anther shape:             Ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to 199D. Pollen: Scarce.             Pollen color: Close to 4D. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.1 cm. Style color: Close             to 145D, distally tinged with close to 71A. Stigma color:             Close to 199B. Ovary color: Close to 144C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Scaevola. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Scaevola have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 40° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Scaevola have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Scaevola     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Scaevola plant named ‘Bonsca 1433’ as illustrated and described. 